Best of Summer 09?

There are a lot of movies to see over the course of a summer. So teh best thing for me to do is to try and prioritize. What do I want to see the most? What am I most looking forward to?

So I compiled a list of 10 movies that I'm looking forward to most this summer. These are not guaranteed to be the greatest movies of the summer or even the movies you're looking forward to the most. But if God came down and told me I could only see 10 movies this summer, this is what I'd pick.

What about you? What would your picks be? After you read through my picks, I encourage you to post your own lists below. In a summer this jam-packed with entertainment, where do you draw the line? What 10 movies do you HAVE to see this summer?

Honorable Mention - X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, FUNNY PEOPLE, LAND OF THE LOST, GI JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA, MOON, 500 DAYS OF SUMMER

10. THE HANGOVER

I've had my share of hangovers before and none of them were particularly funny. Most of them involved long showers, cold bottles of Gatorade and repeated promises to never, ever drink again. But this summer's comedy THE HANGOVER looks to be less headaches and dry heaves and more Diana Ross (yes that was a "Sweet Love Hangover" reference). Warner Bros. was so high on the film they've put a sequel on the fast-track already. And if a multibillion dollar corporation says it's good, they wouldn't lie right?!

9. DISTRICT 9

I'm going out on a limb here with a movie we don't even know all that much about other than an expansive viral campaign that dates back to last year's Comic-Con. We know it has aliens living on Earth, Peter Jackson producing and...

8. BRUNO

The first time I saw an extended clip from BORAT (the now infamous hotel wrestling scene), I laughed so hard I almost pissed myself. I've been assured by people who've seen BRUNO that Sacha Baron Cohen's next film is at least that funny, if not funnier. So does that mean I could actually piss my pants this time? Someone get me some Depends stat!

7. DRAG ME TO HELL

Some movies like to hide from the spotlight. They get embargoed and delayed and are kept in a vault until opening day. Other films, like DRAG ME TO HELL, are put out there for all to see. Universal has showed some major balls and confidence in the film by holding early screenings for both the press and public. They brought the film to SXSW and have been having numerous word-of-mouth screenings since. It's a gamble, but only if your film sucks. As you might expect, Sam Raimi's return to horror hasn't disappointed anyone yet and word-of-mouth is spreading faster than Swine Flu.

6. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

I include this on the list despite "I want meh scalps!" or "one of the must curious line readings in recent memory." I can't say that everything I've seen out of BASTERDS is blowing me away but it's Tarantino, it's WWII, it's Nazi-killin and it's...Mike Myers? OK, just focus on the first three things.

5. STAR TREK

About a year ago if you had asked me whether STAR TREK would've made my "most anticipated" list and I would have laughed and laughed and laughed and after I was done laughing I would've slapped you clear across the face. I've never seen an episode of "Star Trek" in any of its televised iterations and have watched THE WRATH OF KHAN only because people wouldn't stop shutting up about how I've never seen it (full disclosure: it was actually pretty good). But JJ Abrams has revealed a mystery more mysterious than if the Smoke Monster and Cloverfield had a baby: How did he get this movie in my Top 5? You tricky bastard you.

4. PUBLIC ENEMIES

With all the explosions, spaceships, aliens and overall genreism on display in the rest of my list, it's time for something a little straight forward. A Michael Mann crime drama. It doesn't hurt that Johnny Depp and Christian Bale headline a damn impressive cast. d

3. UP

This might be considered cheating since I've already seen half of this movie already but it left me so damn hungry for the 2nd half, I just tried to take a bit out of the poster (uck, pulpy). While MONSTERS VS. ALIENS might've been a 3-D success in the monetary sense, UP should be the film that helps catapult the format into critical respectability.

2. TERMINATOR SALVATION

While I have TERMINATOR SALVATION as the runner-up on this list, it's also the biggest gamble. There's been extremely little in word-of-mouth and while it could be awesome, it could also suck balls. And while GI JOE sucking balls would be unfortunate, it a) wouldn't surprise me and b) wouldn't be that much of a waste. To have a Christian Bale-led TERMINATOR movie (that really should be as cool as a cucumber) suck would reeeaaally suck. Either way, I'll be there.

1. TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

As Liz Lemon would say, "uh DOY..." Was there really any doubt that TRANSFORMERS would be atop the list. With my rampant bonerisms over the first movie's robot porn aesthetic, the sequel has done nothing but up the ante. And in a summer full of pretenders, TRANSFORMERS has proved it's the real deal: a must-see summer event we haven't seen in a long time. Bring it, Bay!